When Clothes "Make the Man"

Shabbat 146b

Why are the Sages of Babylon so particular about their dress?

This, among other differences between Eretz Yisrael and Babylon, were being discussed by two Eretz Yisrael Sages, Rabbi Chiya bar Abba and Rabbi Asi. These two disciples of Rabbi Yochanan speculated on these matters while their master was dozing nearby.

The reason they came up with was that the Sages in Babylon were not sufficiently great in their Torah knowledge to merit the respect of the public and therefore relied on the dignified appearance they made.

Rabbi Yochanan overheard their explanation and, upon fully awakening, rebuked them for reaching conclusions in matters in which they lacked clarity of understanding. When asked for his own answer, Rabbi Yochanan took a more generous approach to these foreign Sages who were sometimes viewed as competitors to the Eretz Yisrael Sages.

"Because," he explained, "they are not in their own country. This is the meaning of the folk saying that in my own city I am respected for my name alone but outside of it I have to rely on my attire. "

What the Sages Say

"Travel to a place where you can study Torah with others and do not say that the Torah will come to you; for your colleagues will ensure that you hold on to your Torah knowledge and you must not rely only on your own intelligence."

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